FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT INADEQUATE - PAGE 4

Over 200 years ago, political theorist and philosopher Edmund Burke memorably remarked: "The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing. " This truism comes to mind when assessing the reaction of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County to the recent vote by the American Studies Association (ASA) in favor of an academic boycott of Israel. The ASA, of which UMBC is an institutional member, is the nation's oldest and largest association dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of American history and culture.

An environmental advocacy group filed legal action against the city of Baltimore Wednesday, alleging that the city has not complied with a 2002 agreement to lessen sewage outflows that pollute area waterways. The group Blue Water Baltimore filed a motion in federal court to join an existing federal enforcement action that required the city to take a number of steps to address alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. In the motion, the group claims federal authorities "failed to adequately enforce" the water cleanup agreement, called a consent decree, they and the city reached in 2002.

An Army report addressing the environmental risks of germ warfare research at Fort Detrick is "hopelessly inadequate," a counsel for a Washington public interest group has said.The Army claims its work does not pose any significant environmental threats, but the Army has failed to go back and decide if the research was necessary in the first place, Andrew Kimbrell, of the Foundation on Economic Trends, said this week."Any risk is too high if the research is unnecessary," said Kimbrell, policy director and counsel for the foundation, which has long been concerned about the dangers of biological warfare research.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's astronauts say their space shuttle training suffers from technical glitches, inexperienced instructors, outdated textbooks and a shortage of simulator equipment, according to an internal agency report.The report, based on a survey of the astronaut corps, found that, although shuttle crews have managed to make up for shortfalls in the program by teaching themselves, the training system is "grossly inadequate" for handling more than 10 flights a year, something the National Aeronautics and Space Administration hopes to do starting in 1993.

Three U.S. Senators sent letters to the Baltimore Ravens and the National Football League on Thursday criticizing what they called "plainly inadequate" punishment for star running back Ray Rice. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy of Connecticut, and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin - all Democrats - implored the league and the Ravens to revisit their sanctions against Rice, who was charged with felony aggravated assault after police said he knocked his then-fiancee unconscious at an Atlantic City, N.J., casino in February.

VETERINARIAN Stephen Romero has a bone to pick with the way pet birds are fed.He thinks birds have been shortchanged in care and many never get proper veterinary care. ''If I could say one word of the problems I see in birds it is nutrition, because people have a picture that all birds want seeds and nuts.''This is not always healthy for a bird, especially the bigger birds such as parrots, cockateels, cockatoos, macaws and such, which can eat almost anything their family eats.''A parrot loves pizza or spaghetti, which is great for it. And, foods for most birds should include fruits, hard boiled eggs, vegetables and meats.

By Ellen James Martin and Ellen James Martin,Staff Writer | January 6, 1993

WASHINGTON -- A law meant to protect Marylanders whe they buy homes is "totally inadequate" and could be costing homebuyers at settlement, a consumer group said yesterday.The Consumer Federation of America and the National Association of Realtors said in a joint news conference that most real estate agents work for property sellers and that agents should be required to disclose that to buyers.The two groups said they would push states -- including Maryland -- to strengthen real estate agent disclosure laws.

The Anne Arundel County Board of Education is scheduled to vote tonight on Superintendent C. Berry Carter II's proposed $380.9 million budget.Thomas J. Paolino, president of the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County, has called Mr. Carter's proposal a "make-do budget." One board member questioned early whether $380.9 million would be enough to keep the school system operating.The board has spent the past month attending public hearings and taking calls from residents who want to ensure Mr. Carter gets what he's asking for. In many cases, they've asked that the board add money.

WASHINGTON - President Bush's plans to reform the nation's espionage community were criticized as inadequate yesterday by lawmakers and members of the Sept. 11 commission, setting the stage for a struggle between the White House and Congress over how much power to grant a proposed intelligence czar and counterterrorism center. The White House proposals were dissected during rare August hearings held by committees in both houses of Congress. Much of the criticism came from Democrats who are pushing for a more aggressive restructuring of the intelligence community.

Just in time for the biggest beach-going weekend of the year, an environmental group warned yesterday that it may not be safe to swim at many ocean and bay beaches in Maryland and the rest of the nation.Pollution forced authorities in Maryland and 21 other coastal states to close beaches or advise against swimming more than 2,600 times last year, according to a survey by the Natural Resources Defense Council released yesterday.But just because a beach is not closed or posted is no guarantee its water is clean, the Washington-based group says, since state and local swimming-safety standards are inconsistent and often inadequate.